Different take on Srebrenica

An interesting opinion/food-for-thought about Srebrenica, and the ways in which people 'help'.
This post by Izet Sabic was published on Zenicablog.com on Monday.
Again, here is the version in English.
What do you think?

(Source: Zenicablog)

We are closer to the 11th of July. The day when the general public of our beautiful Bosnia and Herzegovina remembers Srebrenica. The day when many express their support for the Srebrenica people. I would say everyone, but then I would by lieing. Although in this country that would not be something awful. We are accustomed to being lied to, for years. But, back to Srebrenica. Do you feel sorry for those people in Srebrenica? I do. I am sorry about the institutions, politicians, media, and unfortunately, in the end, the people, who are showing mighty hypocrisy to the people of Srebrenica and the inhabitants of that city, whether they are dead or alive. All of them remember the 11th of July just a few days before. All express their support. They are organising peace marches, broadcasting Srebrenica on TV, politicians tell you nice and convenient words and people change their pictures on social networks. They even appeal not to play music on these networks on July 11, to demonstrate support for these people. These days, everyone has something to say about Srebrenica, some photo to share, some status to write, and perhaps to support some opinion.

Of course, we also have another side. We have people who deny the genocide, who are doing everything possible to make life even more bitter to these people. We are not expecting anything else from them. I am wondering to myself what we have done for Srebrenica? What have we done to these people to make their life less bitter? About the sweetness of life, we shouldn't even mention, for them it is long forgotten. Do you think that people who can barely make ends meet really care whether you publish a song on your profile or not? Do you think that the people who live in houses full of moisture, who bathe themselves in troughs, care about who comes up with some sort of jokes? We invite you to not forget the suffering of Srebrenica and the Srebrenica people on the 11th of July, only to forget their suffering during the other 364 days, and in the meantime. Many will arrive in Srebrenica on that date to show their support for these people.


Everyone will then go away. Politicians, media, military, religious officials, and the people themselves. Even young people who are healthy, capable and able, went to seek their fortune in some other places. The older people will not. Their heart is pulling them to their homeland, to their fireplace. For them, life is only in this place, no matter how difficult it is. And it's difficult. Very difficult. Imagine how life is when you are crying in front of the cameras, because you don't have anything to live off, because your own son is attacking and yelling at you because his nerves were destroyed from the war, when you are living in a house with that much moisture you almost can't breathe, that you have to take a whole bag of medicines.. Many of us couldn't drink the amount of water that is necessary to drink those medicines, even in the summer heat, let alone to live that way. I don't want someone to misunderstand me, I don't have anything against the peace march, nor any other expression of support for Srebrenica mentioned in the text, and it's good to have people who care about it, I just think that it is not enough to remember Srebrenica that day or that week.


I ask all citizens who do not want to forget Srebrenica, to not forget it. To remember Srebrenica for the entire 365 days, and not just that week. To come back in three months, in six months and in nine. To come with an aid package and donations for these people who live far away from the public eye. Don't allow Srebrenica to be a political tool to us, and make the 11th of July a day where we wash our conscience and say that we are with Srebrenica and its victims, and that we will never forget them. They need far more, far more than the actual help of a few good people, they need help from all of us. Now lets prove that we have not forgotten Srebrenica, lets prove that we are good people, lets prove that their loved ones are not gone in vain, and help these people!


~ Izet Sabic.